Data Plan 5GB ?

[semenza]

Thinking about getting a WiFi hot spot as primary internet for home use. I have found a bunch of conflicting info about how much  5 GB will do. I realize that video  will eat it up quickly, but I am more concerned with page views. I also realize that not all pages have the same amount of data. I have seen everything from 5GB = 5,000 to 33,000.  Input on the whole deal would be appreciated.

I do figure that the basic 5GB is designed  so that people will go over that amount and pay extra, but I need some clue if this will end up costing $60 or $200 a month.

Not planning to stream movies at all.

I would be viewing  something like 10 YouTube/FOG videos a week.

Maybe some song downloads.

But mostly page views (yeah, I view a lot of pages  [wink] ) and emails.

Seth

 

[rrmccabe]

5 gig is not much.

I burn through 4 gig on my phone every month and I am on WIFI  a lot.  I never watch movies but do watch an occasional Youtube..

No way that 5 gig would work for my home use.

 

[builderbob]

I'm not a super tech guru but I have to say that I have a 4gb plan for my cell & iPad...I do have wifi @ home, so that's separate. But I use my phone a ton more out of the house than at the house. I'm not sure what the combination of x+y+z equates to in data but near the end of my billing cycle I usually have 2+ gb unused & I stream stream stream music!

Find out your options on the cancellation policy...use it as you would during that time and monitor it...that should help you make your keep vs cancel decision!

I do stream a lot of pandora & spotify @ home...this wouldn't be a conducive option for me!!!

Bob

 

[pghmyn]

I can't remember, but I think there is something to track overall data usage. Track yourself for a week, add 5-10% on top for random fluctuations, then multiply by 4. If you are within 5gb, you're golden. If not, looks like you need to rethink it

 

[AlexThePalex]

Wow, internet access surely is different in America. Here a 10 to 20 Mbit connection is more or less the standard now. We have no data limits for home internet. My connection can download 35 GB per day.

 

[pghmyn]

Wow, internet access surely is different in America. Here a 10 to 20 Mbit connection is more or less the standard now. We have no data limits for home internet. My connection can download 35 GB per day.

I'm pretty sure he is talking about a mobile hotspot that would come from a cellular carrier.

 

[peter halle]

Yes, I believe Seth is talking about cellular.  He lives in an area that does not have hardwired high speed internet.

Peter

 

[AlexThePalex]

Thinking about getting a WiFi hot spot as primary internet for home use.

Well, by naming it WiFi I thought Seth meant home internet. WiFi is a short range wireless internet for indoor use (as opposed to 3G for mobile phones that can deliver internet anywhere you are through the mobile netwerk).

First you need internet delivered to a place (by cable, satellite or 3G) and then you can set up WiFi to deliver that internet to your devices like PC, laptop, tablet or phone.

Maybe there is some name confusion. I'm curious to learn how you guys in America get internet to all those far remote places you have.

 

[pghmyn]

Thinking about getting a WiFi hot spot as primary internet for home use.

Well, by naming it WiFi I thought Seth meant home internet. WiFi is a short range wireless internet for indoor use (as opposed to 3G for mobile phones that can deliver internet anywhere you are through the mobile netwerk).

First you need internet delivered to a place (by cable, satellite or 3G) and then you can set up WiFi to deliver that internet to your devices like PC, laptop, tablet or phone.

Maybe there is some name confusion. I'm curious to learn how you guys in America get internet to all those far remote places you have.

The WiFi hotspot is provided by a cellular company. Basically, you buy a plan from your cell phone company, either plug a USB device into your computer, or set up a "hotspot" on your phone. The hotspot allows the computer or whatever to connect to the cellular network through WiFi.

I'm assuming this is what he is talking about, since he mentioned a hotspot.

 

[semenza]

Thinking about getting a WiFi hot spot as primary internet for home use.

Well, by naming it WiFi I thought Seth meant home internet. WiFi is a short range wireless internet for indoor use (as opposed to 3G for mobile phones that can deliver internet anywhere you are through the mobile netwerk).

First you need internet delivered to a place (by cable, satellite or 3G) and then you can set up WiFi to deliver that internet to your devices like PC, laptop, tablet or phone.

Maybe there is some name confusion. I'm curious to learn how you guys in America get internet to all those far remote places you have.

The WiFi hotspot is provided by a cellular company. Basically, you buy a plan from your cell phone company, either plug a USB device into your computer, or set up a "hotspot" on your phone. The hotspot allows the computer or whatever to connect to the cellular network through WiFi.

I'm assuming this is what he is talking about, since he mentioned a hotspot.

Yes, hot spot from cell provider. 

The 5GB being the amount of data transmitted and received over a month. It is not limited to 5GB but each GB after the initially paid for 5 is extra $.

Seth

 

[Kev]

If you browse a lot, make certain you install an ad blocker - that can make a significant difference to your usage depending on the type of sites you visit.

General forums, etc - not usually too bad.

 

[jmbfestool]

Wow, internet access surely is different in America. Here a 10 to 20 Mbit connection is more or less the standard now. We have no data limits for home internet. My connection can download 35 GB per day.

There are some large (and small pockets) in the US that are underserved by broadband.  In my area until last fall the only options were dailup, slow, severely limited satellite connection (both speed and cap) or 3G service from a cell company limited to 5 or 10GB/mo even though I'm only 8 miles outside a city with a population of close to 300,000.  

In the fall the phone company finally got 6meg DSL to me, but as they added people that's fallen to more like 3 which is still at least 2x as fast as 3G was and uncapped.   The phone company basically did me a favor to get me off local and regional management's backs--they keep telling the neighbors on either side its impossible.

Verizon brought 4GLTE cellular service here a couple weeks later.  We could get 6-12meg service but its capped.  40GB/mo would cost around $160/mo IIRC.

Now I just learned that by late summer we'll have cable TV, internet, and phone available.  For about $70/mo I'll be able to get 35meg, capped at a couple hundred GB/mo if I remember correctly.  I could get up to 110meg but that's close to $200/mo.  I believe the cap is around 1TB/mo on that.

There are some new satellite services available now in many parts of the country that are speed, price, and cables comparable to 4GLTE, but the latency is much higher and they are susceptible to weather interruption.

This will make u drewl!!!
http://b4rn.org.uk/
B4RN!!  For rural areas in the UK.  People farmers are putting in their own Fibre optic cables in them selfs and they are getting speeds upto 600meg  with future possibility of gettin 1000meg!!!' For £30 a month I think  it is.

Jmb

 

[Kev]

Wow, internet access surely is different in America. Here a 10 to 20 Mbit connection is more or less the standard now. We have no data limits for home internet. My connection can download 35 GB per day.

There are some large (and small pockets) in the US that are underserved by broadband.  In my area until last fall the only options were dailup, slow, severely limited satellite connection (both speed and cap) or 3G service from a cell company limited to 5 or 10GB/mo even though I'm only 8 miles outside a city with a population of close to 300,000.  

In the fall the phone company finally got 6meg DSL to me, but as they added people that's fallen to more like 3 which is still at least 2x as fast as 3G was and uncapped.   The phone company basically did me a favor to get me off local and regional management's backs--they keep telling the neighbors on either side its impossible.

Verizon brought 4GLTE cellular service here a couple weeks later.  We could get 6-12meg service but its capped.  40GB/mo would cost around $160/mo IIRC.

Now I just learned that by late summer we'll have cable TV, internet, and phone available.  For about $70/mo I'll be able to get 35meg, capped at a couple hundred GB/mo if I remember correctly.  I could get up to 110meg but that's close to $200/mo.  I believe the cap is around 1TB/mo on that.

There are some new satellite services available now in many parts of the country that are speed, price, and cables comparable to 4GLTE, but the latency is much higher and they are susceptible to weather interruption.

This will make u drewl!!!
http://b4rn.org.uk/
B4RN!!  For rural areas in the UK.  People farmers are putting in their own Fibre optic cables in them selfs and they are getting speeds upto 600meg  with future possibility of gettin 1000meg!!!' For £30 a month I think  it is.

Jmb

In Australia we have the NBN (National Broadband Network) said to address connectivity across the nation, but in all reality it is the most monumental of labour government swindles, designed to place thousands of labour party misfits into a money for the old boys program ... and deliver nothing but lies.

Governments and Telcos - urghhh!

 

[semenza]

Anyone else have a 5GB cell type hot spot?  What is your usage level?

Seth

 

[pghmyn]

Anyone else have a 5GB cell type hot spot?  What is your usage level?

Seth

I thought about it, and this might help you to gauge your amount of usage.

I have the iPhone, and I have unlimited data (grandfathered in from AT&T's original plan). I use about 4-5GB of data a month on my phone. I browse on my phone A LOT. I use Twitter A LOT. I play Pandora A LOT. I download several apps all the time. My usage on my phone can be close to that of a regular computer user.

So, thinking about it, if you replace my Pandora usage and app downloading with increased page views, you might just be fine.

A hint, you can turn off image viewing on most forums. You might be able to even turn off images as a whole and only view what you want. High res images that are 10-40MB each can really eat up data quickly.

edit: I also use YouTube A LOT. Probably average of an hour or more a day.